Surface decorating method and apparatus



Aug. 15, 1939. s. VON WEBERN ,169 439 SURFACE DECORATING METHOD AND APPARATUS Original Filed April 23, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. I 611/00 Von Mite/Y 78 2/224 v lv ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 15, 1939. a. VON wEBERN SURFACE DECQRATING METHOD AND APPARATUS Original Filed April 23, 1935 4 Shegts-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. BY 60/00 16/7 [44-51mm 7c? ,Mrfim ATTORNEYS.

SURFACE DECORATING METHOD AND APPARATUS Original Filed April 23, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 1N VENT OR. BY Gu/uo Von Maze/Y ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 15, 1939. VON WEBERN 2,169,439

SURFACE DECORATING IETHOD AND APPARATUS Original Filed April 23, '1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1N VENT OR. Gu/ao MN M5507 Patented Aug. 15, 1939 Guido von Webern, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Oxford Varnish Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Original application April 23, 1935, Serial No.

Divided and this application November 11, 1936, Serial N0. 110,361

5 Claims.

This application is a division of my copending application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 17,825, filed April 23, 1935. The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for feeding 5 and delivering work to and from a decorating machine, and especially to such as a rotary printing or graining machine adapted and arranged to decoratethe articles in simulation of natural objects. This, therefore, is the general object of the invention.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved decorating method and apparatus for delivering comparatively small articles, such as small pieces of leather or other flexible similar materials, to a surface decorating or graining machine.

Another object is to provide a work delivering mechanism for a surface decorating machine, v which mechanism will smooth out the article to 20 be decorated, so that articles, such as small pieces of leather and the like, may be decorated without danger of folding or creasing the articles.

A further object of the present invention is the 25 provision of an improved apparatus which will expedite the feeding of work to and from a surface decorating machine, such as a rotary printing or graining machine, and which apparatus will facilitate the decoration of leather, cloth and 30 other similar articles with rapidity ease, even though such articles be comparatively small. Other objects of the present invention w ll come more apparent from. the following description, reference being had to the preferred form of mechanism for carrying out the method. The essential features of the invention will. be set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of my improved work hemdlingmechanism, as used with a decorating machine of the type shown, described and claimed in my copending application, heretofore referred to; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the opposite side of the machine from that shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 3-45 on Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical section, as indicated by the line 4-4 on Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 5 is a sectional detail, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 55 on Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is 2. diagram illustrating a step in the method used when decorating relatively small flexible articles, such as leather, or the like.

The decorating mechanism, as shown in the Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that there is provided a pair of side frame members in and I2, which are connected together by cross-frame members ll. Supported on these side frame members are suitable bracket arrangements for respectively supporting a pattern roll I5, a transfer or offset roll it, an inking roll l'l, together with a platen roll it.

The pattern roll may be an intaglio cylinder 0 comprising a continuous etched copper plate, and is arranged to contact with the surface of an offset or transfer roll it. The offset roll I6 is mounted on a shaf 253, the ends of which are journalled in rock arms 2!. These arms are pivotally mounted on a shaft 22, supported by the frame members it and i2, and are retained in their normal. or active positions by a pin 25 carried by one of the arms 25 (Figs. l and 5), which is engaged by a slot 26 in a pivoted lever 21. When the pin in the left-hand portion of the slot 26, as shown in Fig. 1, the offset roll i6 is maintained in its active position, whereas, when the pin is in the right-hand portion. of the slot 26, the offset roll it is out of contact with the pattern roll. A spring-pressed plunger 28, carried by the lever 27, cooperates with openings 29 in the frame member ill, to selectively maintain the lever in the desired position.

The platen roll i8 is mounted on a shaft it, 30 supported in brackets 35, pivoted as at 32, to the frame members iii and H. Pressure screws 33, carried by the respective frame members ii} and H, urge the platen roll upwardly into contact with the offset roll and thereby provide a printing pressure.

The ink roll i! is drivingly carried by ashaft 35, the ends of which are journalled in respective levers 3?, which are pivctally mounted as at 36, adjacent the frame members iii and I The ink roll supporting levers are secur d in adjusted positions, with its lower portion submerged in fluid color carried in a reservoir or "l5. by suitable clamping bolts 49 carried by respective frame members. The pattern roll i5 is drivingly secured to a suitable shaft it, which is jcurnalle'd in upstanding brackets or arms 42 of the frame members ill and i2.

The various rolls are driven by a motor 5!].

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the motor 43 is driv- 5o; ingly connected to a speed reduction unit 44. The driven shaft of the reduction unit is provided with a bevelled pinion '15, which meshes with a bevelled pinion 66, drivingly secured to a shaft 4?. The shaft Eli is mounted in bearings 55,

bite of the offset and platen rolls, may be read- 48, carried by a frame member I I, and is provided with a bevelled pinion 49, arranged to mesh with a bevelled gear 50, carried by a shaft 5|, journalled in the frame member I I. 1

The shaft 5I drives the offset and inking rolls I6 and I1. Mounted on this shaft and drivingly connected to the bevelled gear 5I, is a gear 52 arranged to mesh with a pinion 58 drivingly mounted on a shaft 54 which is journalled in the frame member II. Drivingly connected to the pinion 58 is a pulley 59, which, through the medium of a belt 60, and pulleys BI and 62, drives the ink roll shaft 35 and the offset roll shaft 20, respectively. V

Drivingly secured to the shaft 41 is a bevelled pinion 63. This pinion meshes with a bevelled gear 64, which is drivingly secured to the pattern roll shaft 4|. 1

As heretofore mentioned, the decorating machine is especially arranged for use on an intaglio printing roll. I therefore provide a scraper or doctor blade mechanism which acts to remove excess color or ink from the roll, leaving color only in the low portions or pockets of the pattern. The doctor blade comprises a thin metallic blade 65, which is rigidly supported on a shaft 66, carried by frame brackets 61. A weight 68 (Fig. 1) carried by an arm 69 is rigidly secured to the doctor blade shaft 66, and maintains the blade in contact with the periphery of the pattern roll.

Any ink which may remain on the offset roll I6, after the pattern has been transferred to the work, is removed by a scraper I0. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the scraper I0 is mounted on a shaft II, the ends of which are carried by arms I2 pivoted as at I3 to the frame and provided with suitable adjusting screws I4, arranged to engage the frame to vary the pressure of the blade on the roll.

The decorating mechanism just described is, in general, typical of machines, which are at present used for the surface decoration of many articles. It is obvious that articles made of metal, paper or other materials, having sufficient rigidity to permit them to be shoved into the ily decoratedby such types of machines. However, flaccid articles made of leather or other flaccid materials are difficult to decorate, in that they have insufficient rigidity to permit them to be fed into the bite of the offset and platen rolls in the same manner as metal, or even paper articles are fed. The present invention is especially concerned with the provision of a com- 1 paratively simple method of decorating such ar- 'or fabric between the offset and platen rolls,

and temporarily securing the articles to be decorated to this web before it enters the bite of these rolls, and without interrupting the progress of the web. The articles are secured to the web either by adhesive carried by the web or by gummed wafers. After the articles have passed between the offset and platen rolls, they are removed from the web, without interrupting the progress thereof.

The web may be in theform of a contin and 3.

a roll of material 8I, carried by brackets 82, and passes around a guide roll 83, supported by a table 86. The web passes across the table (toward the left in Fig. 1) into the bite of the offset and platen rolls, as will be hereinafter more fully described. As the web passes across the table, the operator secures thereto the work, such as the leather article indicated at W, in Figs. 2 These articles are secured to the'web either by a tacky gum or suitable adhesive carried by the web. However, I have shown the article as being secured to the web by adhesive coated stickers or wafers 85. A continuous canvas or fabric belt 86, looped about drums 81 and 88, presses the work into intimate contact with the web and a spring-pressed roller 89 urges the belt, the articles and the web into intimate contact with the table top, thereby smoothing the articles and securely affixing the articles to th web.

Adjacent the forward or left-hand end of the belt 86, I provide a pair of ironing bars 90 and SI. The bar 90 as shown in Fig. 1, has eccentric end portions 92 journalled in respective frame members It? and II. This bar is arranged to be clamped in an adjusted position relative to the frame by a clamp 93, preferably threadingly engaging one end of the rod and clamping it to the frame plate It}. The other ironing bar or rod 9I engages the paper web 89 between the bar 96 and the forward drum 88, about which the belt 86 is looped. The bar 9| is carried by a pair of arms 94, pivotally mounted on a shaft 95 which is carried by the frame members I0 and H. pivots by respective earns 96 carried by stub shafts 91 which are journalled in respective frame members In and I I. These stub shafts are arranged to be swung by suitable adjusting screws 98. Each adjusting screw is carried by a frame boss 99 and acts against a lever I00, which is secured to its respective stub shaft 91. In this way the pressure on the web may be adjusted to smooth or iron out any wrinkles in the hides or articles.

The fabric belt 86 is preferably driven at the same rate of peripheral speed as the peripheral speed of the platen roll I8. 2 and 3, the rearmost drum or roller 81, about which the belt 85 is looped, is provided with a pulley I05. This pulley, through the medium of a belt I96, is driven by a pulley I07, drivingly mounted on the shaft 54 heretofore described in detail.

The workpieces W are stripped from the paper web I50 after the impressions have been made thereon by a stripper or knife II 0. As shown in Fig. 2, the knife IItl comprises a thin metallic blade, carried by a table IIZ, from which the workpieces may be removed by the operator, or may drop onto a conveyor II 4 of any wellknown type.

The web 8!] is rewound on a take-up reel II5, which may be driven by a pulley I I5, frictionally connected to the take-up roll in the usual manner. This pulley is driven by a driving belt II'I from a pulley IIB, carried by a shaft II 2, which is' journalled in the frame member ID and is provided with a spur gear II9, which meshes with the gear 52, heretofore described.

From the foregoing description, it is obvious that I have provided an improved method and apparatus for facilitating the decoration of fiexible articles, especially small leather or similar articles. My improved apparatus irons The levers 94 are rocked about their As shown in Figs.

smoothes out any wrinkles in the articles, prior to their decoration and is so arranged as to permit operation of the decorating mechanism without any interruption for feeding articles thereto.

I claim:

1. A surface decorating machine including an impression roll, a substantially continuous flexible web, means to progress the web to bring flexible articles placed thereon into contact with the transfer roll, and means to smooth out the articles before they reach the impression roll, said last-named means including a flexible belt having one stretch thereof in intimate contact with the first-named web and the articles thereon.

2. In a surface decorating machine a substantially continuous Web adapted to receive workpieces, a flexible belt having one stretch thereof in engagement with the web, means to progress the web and the belt, and means to tension the Web and belt to thereby smooth out workpieces gripped therebetween, and means acting thereafter to transfer a pattern to the articles on the Web.

3. In a surface decorating machine, a pattern roll, a substantially continuous web adapted to receive workpieces, a looped belt, means to cause one stretch thereof to contact with said web whereby workpieces may be gripped between the belt and the web, supporting means for said web at the point of engagement with said belt, and means acting in opposite directions and engaging the web-and belt respectively to smooth out the articles gripped thereby, means acting thereafter to transfer the pattern to the articles on the web, and means to progress said belt and web and rotate said rolls.

4. In a surface decorating machine, an impression roll, a substantially continuous web adapted to receive workpieces, means to progress said web, a looped belt having one stretch thereof adapted to engage the workpieces on the web, means to progress said belt, a pair of ironing bars, one of said bars engaging the looped belt and the other engaging the web, means to move one of said bars to tension the web and belt gripped thereby and smooth out the articles gripped between the web and the belt, means to rotate said roll to transfer the pattern to the smooth articles on the web, and means acting thereafter to remove the decorated articles from the, web.

5. In a surface decorating machine, an impression roll and a coacting platen roll, a substantially continuous web passing between said rolls and adapted to receive workpieces, a pair of spaced rolls mounted above said web and having a continuous belt looped thereabout, one stretch of said belt being substantially parallel with and in contact with said web, whereby workpieces may be gripped between the belt and the web, 

